Palestine "Al Fateh" Delegation

Vice-Premier Teng Hsiao-ping on July 21 met and had a cordial and friendly conversation with the Palestine "Al Fateh" Delegation. The delegation was led by Abou Jihad, Member of the Central Committee of the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Al Fatth) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Movement's "Al-Assifa" Commandos, with Abou Mahir, Member of the Central Committee of the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Al Fateh), as deputy leader. Foreign Minister Chiao Kuan-hua also met with the Palestinian friends on the same day. Vice-Foreign Minister Ho Ying held talks with the delegation which arrived in Peking on July 17. At the banquet welcoming the delegation on July 18, Vice-Foreign Minister Ho said: To restore their national rights, the people and guerrilla fighters of Palestine have held aloft the banner of armed struggle and fought to bring about a situation favourable to the victory of the revolution. They have earned the sympathy and support of more and more countries in the world and have entered a glorious, moving chapter in the annals of the Arab people's struggle against imperialism. The Palestinian people's revolutionary spirit of not being afraid of brutality and perseveringly carrying on their protracted armed struggle is a source of great encouragement to China and an inspiration to the third world's struggle for national liberation. Speaking about the excellent situation prevailing in the revolutionary struggle in the Middle East, Vice-Foreign Minister Ho pointed out: The Middle East holds a very important strategic position and also abounds in oil resources. The superpowers will not take their defeat lying down, nor will they change their strategic concept of scrambling chiefly for Europe and its flank, the Middle East. This scramble is going on with increasing ferocity. The superpowers are trying to restore the "no war, no peace" stalemate in the Middle East and leaving no stone unturned in sowing discord among the Palestinian and other Arab people. He said: "That superpower which glibly professes to be a 'natural ally' of the Arab people, even goes to the length of supporting one faction while attacking another in a bid to disrupt the unity of the Palestinian and other Arab people and undermine their struggle. Each of the two superpowers tries to ostracize and overpower the other and expand its own force and influence. Superpower aggression and contention for hegemony have brought dire suffering to the people in the Middle East, but on the other hand have promoted the awakening of the people in this region and aroused stronger resistance and struggle." He expressed the conviction that, heightening vigilance, strengthening unity and persisting in a protracted struggle without let-up, and with the support of the revolutionary people the world over, the Palestinian and other Arab people will surely be able to further frustrate the schemes of imperialism and hegemonism and win final victory in their national-liberation struggle. Vice-Foreign Minister Ho concluded his speech by saying that the Chinese Government and people always support the Palestinian and other Arab people in their just struggle to recover their lost territories and restore their national rights. "Our militant friendship and revolutionary unity can stand all tests and no one can ever disrupt or undermine it,'' he stressed. In his speech, delegation leader Abou Jihad pointed out: "The glorious October War and the brilliant victories in Viet Nam and Cambodia prove that men are mightier than any technical superiority. The overbearing Zionists considered the Bar-Lev line as an invulnerable bulwark. But by sheer will and in a spirit of sacrifice, the Arab soldiers of Egypt shattered it, the same as what the Arab soldiers in Syria did when they launched attacks against the enemy strongholds at Golan." He went on: '"The more important point which has been proved on various fronts in the world is that armed struggle is the basic form of struggle." Abou Jihad said: "We have come to understand from our own experience that we must abide by national unity and Arab unity. We have strengthened armed struggle and political activities." "In this battle, you and all the other peoples and governments of the third world are our faithful friends," he added. The delegation leader gave an account of the progress of the Palestinian people's armed struggle. He pointed out: "Our struggle has made all people believe that the Palestinian people will spare no sacrifice to push the revolution ahead. The bullets of Palestine and the will of the masses of the Arab people proclaim that the state of 'no war, no peace' does not sell in this region; peace detrimental to the interests of Palestine will not work; the Palestine revolution will continue to advance along the road of struggle so long as Zionism exists on the land of Palestine." He said: "Imperialism and Zionism will never wash their hands but will try every plot to oppose us in an attempt to undermine the unity of the Arab masses and make them kill one another. But the unity of the Arab masses and the unity of the third world people and all the progressive forces supporting our struggle will certainly smash all the future schemes engineered by imperialism and Zionism." Abou Jihad said that the friendship between the Palestinian and Chinese people "has a long history. It is dynamic and is growing daily. We Palestinian people will never forget the consistent support and aid you have given us."